Institute of Sacred Music | Colloquium Journal

Several other aspects of the Kyrie refer to models in the Saxon capitol. One is the slow introduction opening the whole piece. We find similar introductions in other masses in Dresden; one, composed by Johann Hugo von Wilderer (1670/71–1724), is so much the same that it likely served as a model for Bach. Even the theme of the first fugue in Bach's mass is similar to Wilderer's Kyrie-fugue (see Example 2).²²

Bach copied the mass by Wilderer around 1730 so that we are sure that he knew it.²³ On the other hand, Bach did not just imitate the model, but composed a much more complex setting. While Wilderer's introduction is a straightforward accordic piece, Bach's introduction also starts with a dense accordic texture, but enriches the setting with syncopations and sharp chromaticisms.

Kyrie I and Kyrie II represent the two side wings of our "palace." The central section of the building, the Christe eleison, is composed as a contrast. It is set for two soprano voices and violins. The character is quite intimate. Again, models from Dresden have shaped the movement, but in this case not only sacred compositions but secular pieces as well. Dresden was at this time a center for the Italian opera in Germany. Although Bach never composed an opera himself, he possessed a deep knowledge of this genre.²⁴ In the case of the Christe, the love-duet of Neapolitan opera might have served as a model. We find several characteristics of this duet style in the Christe: "parallel thirds and sixths (emphasized here through sustained notes), diatonic melodic lines, a galant mixture of duple and triple figures, straightforward harmonies, expressive appoggiaturas, and weak-beat phrase endings that resolve downward as 'sighs'."²⁵ Bach used this style in several duets in his cantatas to depict the love between two persons, or between God and humanity, so that we can be sure that he was aware of possible connotations, and used these stylistic devices on purpose.²⁶

The relationship between this type of duet and love becomes clear when we compare a section from the secular cantata Lasst uns sorgen, lasst uns weichen (BWV 213), composed in September 1733, with the duet in the Mass. The cantata was written for the birthday of Prince Friedrich Christian of Saxony (1722-1763). The text of the duet is "I am yours and you are mine; I kiss you, kiss me" (see Example 3).

This may again be a reference to a popular style in Dresden; both these compositions were composed for the court of Saxony, and thus reflect its preferences. But besides this another, a theological, layer of understanding is important for the interpretation of the Christe duet. Protestant theology of Bach's time was shaped by the idea of an intimate relationship between Jesus and the believer. Jesus was seen as bridegroom, and the believer as bride. A central biblical text for this theology was the Song of Songs, with its dialogs between a lover and his beloved. Bach employed texts from this book in several of his compositions, but most obviously in the cantata Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (BWV 140). Using motives from the Song of Songs, the unknown librettist wrote the following duet:

Soprano	Bass
My beloved is mine!	And I am yours!
Love shall by naught be sundered!
I will join thee	thou shalt join me
To wander through heaven's roses,
Where pleasure in fullness, where joy will abound.

The two "lovers" in this duet sing the way we have seen in the musical examples above.²⁷ This kind of deep love is expressed in our love-duet, the love between Christ and humanity (see Example 4). We do not have to understand the two voices in the Christe eleison as two lovers personified, the first soprano as Jesus, the second as the believer; the idea of love in general is depicted in this movement.

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